Varney the Vampire eBook

“Admiral Bell,” he said, “you have
nothing to do with this business; we can not blame
you for the heartlessness of another. I have but
one favour to ask of you.”

“What—­what can I do?”

“Say no more about him at all.”

“I can’t help saying something about him.
You ought to turn me out of the house.”

“Heaven forbid! What for?”

“Because I’m his uncle—­his
d——­d old fool of an uncle, that always
thought so much of him.”

“Nay, my good sir, that was a fault on the right
side, and cannot discredit you. I thought him
the most perfect of human beings.”

“Oh, if I could but have guessed this.”

“It was impossible. Such duplicity never
was equalled in this world—­it was impossible
to foresee it.”

“Hold—­hold! did he give you fifty
pounds?”

“What?”

“Did he give you fifty pounds?”

“Give me fifty pounds! Most decidedly not;
what made you think of such a thing?”

“Because to-day he borrowed fifty pounds of
me, he said, to lend to you.”

“I never heard of the transaction until this
moment.”

“The villain!”

“No, doubt, sir, he wanted that amount to expedite
his progress abroad.”

“Well, now, damme, if an angel had come to me
and said ’Hilloa! Admiral Bell, your nephew,
Charles Holland, is a thundering rogue,’ I should
have said ‘You’re a liar!’”

“This is fighting against facts, my dear sir.
He is gone—­mention him no more; forget
him, as I shall endeavour myself to do, and persuade
my poor sister to do.”

“Poor girl! what can we say to her?”

“Nothing, but give her all the letters, and
let her be at once satisfied of the worthlessness
of him she loved.”

“The best way. Her woman’s pride
will then come to her help.”

“I hope it will. She is of an honourable
race, and I am sure she will not condescend to shed
a tear for such a man as Charles Holland has proved
himself to be.”

“D—­n him, I’ll find him out,
and make him fight you. He shall give you satisfaction.”

“No, no.”

“No? But he shall.”

“I cannot fight with him.”

“You cannot?”

“Certainly not. He is too far beneath me
now. I cannot fight on honourable terms with
one whom I despise as too dishonourable to contend
with. I have nothing now but silence and contempt.”

“I have though, for I’ll break his neck
when I see him, or he shall break mine. The villain!
I’m ashamed to stay here, my young friend.”

“How mistaken a view you take of this matter,
my dear sir. As Admiral Bell, a gentleman, a
brave officer, and a man of the purest and most unblemished
honour, you confer a distinction upon us by your presence
here.”

The admiral wrung Henry by the hand, as he said,—­

“To-morrow—­wait till to-morrow; we
will talk over this matter to morrow—­I
cannot to-night, I have not patience; but to-morrow,
my dear boy, we will have it all out. God bless
you. Good night.”